2024-07-26 14:48:21
The meeting, hosted by the German Defense Ministry, focused on future cooperation in naval technology, including unmanned submarines.
According to the Army Recognition website, one of the central projects discussed was the BlueWhale underwater drone. This device was created in cooperation between the Israeli company Elta Systems and the German Atlas Elektronik. The BlueWhale weighs 5.5 tons, is 10.9 meters long and can operate underwater for up to 30 days, developing speeds of two to seven knots.
The drone is equipped with a telescopic mast that can be extended out of the water to collect intelligence. The mast is equipped with radar and electro-optical systems that can detect targets both at sea and on land. Information collected by these systems is transmitted in real time to command posts via satellite antennas.
The sonar systems installed on the sides of the BlueWhale provide submarine detection and acoustic data collection. According to the VMR research institute, the market for unmanned military submarines is expected to grow significantly: from $3.4 billion in 2021 to $8 billion in 2030.
BlueWhale was developed by Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta division and represents a significant advance in underwater unmanned technology.
Earlier, Cursor reported that the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) concert presented the development of a new cruise missile called Ha-Shidon Ha-Aviri (Air Demon).